St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-01
formerally resided -Modoc, Hastings

county, Province Ontario.
The three necessities to stock rising
exist here, viz: Grass, water and tim
Der. The wild hay grows here in i'm
mense quantities, and, as the prairie
land is peculiarly free from all encum-
brances, such as stones and stumps,
hay-making is comparatively easier than
at MOdOc, which is richer in stones and
stumps than it Is in hay. When the
quality to the timothy hay of the East.
Thus, in quality, quantity and facility
of handling, farmers and stOck-raisers
here have unreasonable advantages
oyer these of my late residence. The
grass here is peculiarly nutritious, and
retains its nutriment all winter-so
much so that the cattle run the range
all winter and fatten. AS for the horses,
theyido not get a whisp of hay during
the winter, but Craze i'm the fields and
grow fat. l wintered 100 head of horses
last year, without hay and without
loss. AS to the cattle, there is
much good winter grass, and such an
abundance of wild hay put up for them
that they are ready for the butcher in
the spring, so that find stock raising
much more comfortable here than did
among the rocks, stones and stumps of
MOdOc. As to water, the territory, as
the inquirer may easily ascertain,
abOunds in rivers, lakes and streams,
which are heavily timbered, thus afford
ing complete shelter for cattle, and
large herds are wintered in the timber
without loss.
of MOdOc. 1t is black loan, with clay
subsoil. The loan is very rich. Wheat,
oats, potatoes, and in fact all sorts of
vegetables adapted to the latitude, grow
abundantly. That the soil is favorable
to fruit growing is evidenced by the
abundance of wild cherries, plums, cur
rants, gOOseberrieS, Strawberries, rasp-
berries, ETC., growing along the mar
gins of the rivers and on the hills. |
have planted small orchard, myself,
with good results.
This country ab0unds in game, and
its rivers with fish. Twenty-Five fine
deer wintered with my horses last year,
out on the prairie, and at intervals dur
ing the year / received visits from them,
they coming right up to my fence and
looking curiOusly over into my garden.
The climate here is also very healthy.
In the summer, it is true, the sun gets
good chance at the naked prairie, but
the air is SO inyigOrating that no one
suffers from that peculiar depression
noticeable at that period of the year in
some parts of the states, and the win
tiers are consistently cold and clear-un-
accompanied by that changeability of
climate which is the forerunner of COLI
sumption and bronchial troubles. The
coolest days that blew last Winter,,I
saddled up and rode comfortably from
five to ten miles to visit my horses. At
MOdoc, for instance, we used to stable
our calves and feed them all winter,
and then we could hardly keep them
alive, while here our calves run all win
ter with our cattle, and colts not over
two months old run with the rest of the
horses unsheltered on the prairie. The
average depth of snow is about six
inches.
AT Modoc lived on farm of two
hundred acres. only thirty acres of
which was tit to pillow; yet when left
it sold it for $50 an acre, while the
land now live on I obtained partly for
the mere payment of local fees, and
partly for S1.25 per acre-and it is far
richer than the land had at Modoc.
As to settlement, the country is max
ing rapid progress, when [ fist came
here. there was no thought offs railroad,
and now l am within radius of few
miles of a railroad on each side of me.
There has been no settler within twenty
miles of me, yet last fall OuI precinct
put i'll siXty-tive votes.
Labor is well paid here, harvesters
getting from $3.50 to s. per day, and
those having teams are getting 81 to
$3.50; Labor has received a new i'm
petus in the fact that syndicate is
formed in these parts for the purpose of
putting up and pressing hay for ship
ment to st. Paul and other points east,
and this syndicate is paying good rates
for labor.
I know, of my own personal knowl-
edge. of persons coming here without
means and taking claim who are doing
we'll
And, finally, I would say to my
friends in Modoc-who are pulling
stumps and picking stones from barren
lands, and to those who are plastered
from ear to heels with mortgages
clean them off and come out here, and L
will show them country rich in soil,
abundant in grass, water, timber and
game.
Hogs thrive here the year round
without feeding further than what they
can pick up in summer and hay in win
ter. L can prove this statement to those
who are incredulOuS.
FRANCIS DoNLoN.